A Chinese mining company accuses its employees in the Congo of helping rebels steal hundreds of kilograms of gold: “They secretly transported it through underground channels”
Miners in a gold mine in Africa (illustrative image), PHOTO: Luca Sola / AFP / Profimedia Images
Rebels occupying Twangiza Mining's gold concession in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have looted at least 500 kilograms of gold bullion since May, the company told Reuters, accusing some of its own employees of helping in the theft.
At current prices, the stolen gold is worth about $70 million.
The mine is in South Kivu province, where the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have this year launched a lightning offensive that has allowed them to capture large areas. They took control of the mine in May.
“With the help of some employees, they transported the first batch of more than 50 kg of gold in a very short time,” Twangiza Mining said in a written response to questions from Reuters about losses since M23 seized the mine.
“Since the occupation, they obtained at least 500 kg of gold and secretly transported it through underground channels,” the company said.
The M23 group did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The company says more than 100 kilograms of gold have been stolen from the mine every month
Twangiza Mining, based in Congo and posing as a Chinese firm, said it had lost more than 100kg of gold a month since rebels took control of the mine, in addition to $5 million worth of equipment and materials.
The company announced that it was preparing to file a formal complaint with international arbitration and the Congolese authorities, and that it had declared a force majeure event to try to recoup its losses.
Company representatives also accused the rebels of driving out locals, demolishing churches and using Rwandan technicians to extract geological data in order to resume and expand mining.
“There are more than 150 workers left on the site. We are unable to contact them,” the company said.
The Rwandan government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Armistice between Congo and Rwanda
The fighting in eastern Congo, where Romanian mercenaries also fought until the end of January, has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands this year alone. According to UN investigators, armed groups have captured several mining sites in the country's mineral-rich east.
A report presented to the UN Security Council last year showed that the M23 rebels earned about $300,000 a month from taxes on coltan mining in the Rubaya region.
US President Donald Trump brokered a peace deal between Congo and Rwanda in June as part of an effort to stabilize eastern Congo and attract Western mining investment.
The two sides missed an August deadline to sign a peace deal in that process, but on October 14 agreed on a mechanism to monitor a future ceasefire
